


The New Frontier

by HerbertBest



Series: Two Lonely People [10]
Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Conflicted Romance, F/M, Internal Conflict, Semi-consensual infidelity, Squirt Guns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 22:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8942026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerbertBest/pseuds/HerbertBest
Summary: Ross finds out.





	

When Ross returned the pattern resumed. At least he was trying to spend more time with Holly, to take her to the places they loved, and to hang out with the people who meant the most to them. Dan couldn’t help that, to Ross, he didn’t qualify as that kind of person anymore. In fact, he was gradually being iced out of his social circle with everyone except for Holly.

Holly, who loved him. And Holly who, with every passing day, Dan feared he was growing to love back.

He had no real idea how to handle this. Being with a married woman was bad news – everyone knew that. The territory would be difficult for them to traverse. Ross might even make things extremely difficult for them, if he ever changed his mind and wanted to keep Holly for himself. But Dan couldn’t help his own foolish heart; when he looked at Holly he saw love. And that was enough to catch his heart in his throat, enough to make him panic, enough to make him worry that he’ll be left behind and it will never, ever be enough to keep her safe.

But Holly was _Holly_. She was perfect in her own way – flawed and awkward as he in her own way, vulnerable too. All he wanted to do was shield her from further hurt, keep her from being harmed, and show her that he loved her just as much as she loved Ross.

As much as she loved him.

Sometimes Dan wished love wasn’t so complex.

 

***

They were having a squirt gun battle. God knew why – ask Arin, whom she and Dan had been avoiding when they weren’t filming so they wouldn’t have to justify his love lifestyle choices. Dan had caught her coming around the corner with his pistol and she – sputtering, laughing, merry – eyed – fired back. Soon they were play-wrestling, soon he was picking her up and spinning her around. 

The kisses followed after that. The first real kiss that they’d ever shared where their friends might be able to see them. It was forbidden, dangerous, a little bit thrilling. She could feel Dan’s heart hammering hard against hers and knew he could feel the same thing, even as they stood there with their arms wrapped around each other.

When Dan let go of Holly, Ross was watching the both of him. His expression was indescribably conflicted and sad.

Holly said nothing, but her hand tightened on Dan’s shirt. She wasn’t about to back down. Ross didn’t, when he was with Barry. He had so much with that man – was allowed to run rampant with him. Damn it, she deserved the happiness he’d afforded himself!

The stalemate ended at Arin’s laugh, ringing out loudly enough through the enclosed space of the loft to make them all scatter apart and run like the wind. From the consequences of the moment, the weight of knowledge, and the difficulty of their imperfect lives.

Whatever happened next would be up to Ross now.


End file.
